


First Meeting (One-shot)

by Partypandas00



Series: Lyra & Marisa ~ One Shots [1]
Category: His Dark Materials (TV), His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass (2007)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:14:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25316641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Partypandas00/pseuds/Partypandas00
Summary: Lyra and Marisa's first encounter from Marisa’s POV
Relationships: Lyra Belacqua & Marisa Coulter
Series: Lyra & Marisa ~ One Shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2100090
Kudos: 32





	First Meeting (One-shot)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone  
> So I decided I wanted to try and write a little one-shot of the first encounter of from Marisa POV. It’s probably not my best work but I hope you enjoy reading!

Marisa was sat at the window seat of the airship, staring out over the the city of Oxford, feeling a little apprehensive. Finally she was about to get everything she had always wanted, she was getting to meet her daughter for the first time since the child was born, she could barely comprehend it all. Her dæmon was sat opposite her, he sensed her nervousness and opened his mouth, Marisa raised her hand, signalling for him to stay quiet, “I’m perfectly prepared” she said and he withdrew and Marisa went back to looking out the window.

The airship landed at Jordan College and Marisa departed. As she exited she was greeted by one of the servants, who bowed his head slightly, “Ma’am” he greeted, “The Master has prepared a suit just for you” Marisa nodded, the servant then collected the luggage that had been laid out, “This way ma’am” he said, as he turned to head into the building. Marisa was about to follow when she heard a cry from above, “Oi! Cheat!” Marisa looked up and just caught sight of a young girl jumping over the roofs, her hair flying up behind her. Marisa froze as she watched the girl leaping over the roofs, chasing after a young boy. This was her Lyra. The girl ran out of sight and Marisa forced her eyes away from the roofs and began to follow the servant into the college.

He brought her to the bedroom and laid her luggage down, “Tell the Master I would like to speak to him” she told the servant, who bowed his head and went out. Marisa walked over to the bed and ran her hand over the covers before sitting down upon it. She closed her eyes for a moment thinking about her daughter, running over the roofs like some half wild animal. They were clearly not paying attention to the child here, she needed proper caring for, a proper up bringing, finally she would be able to provide that.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, Marisa got to her feet and straightened her dress and fixed her already perfectly heat hair, “Come in” she said, the door opened and the Master came in, “Mrs Coulter?” He said, “Master” she said, “I have come to discuss an important matter with you. Concerning Lyra” Marisa noticed the Master tense himself slightly and she knew she had the upper hand, “You may not be aware as of yet, but Asriel has been most recently detained, which makes Lyra’s position at the college very different” she explained, “She is still here under scholastic sanctuary” the Master said, “Her place is here” Marisa smirked slightly, “I’m afraid that no longer stands” she told him, the Master said nothing to this, so Marisa went on, “This is what will happen. You will place Lyra into my care and I will take her with me to London” the Master stood his ground, “I had strict instructions from Lord Asriel, that Lyra should remain at Jordan College” Marisa gave him a hard stare, she then began to walk around the room a little as she carried on, “You do realise I can bring the Magisterium into this matter, but I’m sure we won’t have to go as far as that now, will we?” Marisa said, she stopped walking and faced the Master again, “So, here’s what will happen now. I will be introduced to Lyra tonight, over dinner and she will be placed into my care and I will be taking her with me tomorrow. Do we have an understanding?” She said.

The Master knew he had no choice and nodded in agreement, “Very well” he said, submissively and Marisa smiled, satisfied “Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be getting ready for dinner” Marisa said, the Master nodded and turned to leave, “Oh and when you introduce me to Lyra, it will be as Mrs Coulter” she added, the Master said nothing to this and continued to walk out, closing the door behind him. Marisa stared at the door and smiled, pleased with herself and then proceeded to find an outfit for tonight.

Later that evening, Marisa was ready for dinner, she brushed down her blue, velvet skirt and pushed the doors of her chamber wide open and began to make her way down the corridor towards the Masters lodging. As she walked a few Scholars hurried passed her, some she noticed would chance quick glance in her direction which made her smirked.

She arrived and was greeted by the Master and shown to a seat where a couple of female scholars were seated, one of them was Dame Hannah Relf – from St Sophia’s College, she nodded to them in greeting before taking a seat. She allowed the two females to continue their conversation, answering them if they conversed with her. She then heard the Master call over to the door, “Ah Lyra” and Marisa felt her heart skip a beat, she gracefully peer over to the door to try and catch sight of the girl, the Master then led the girl into the room, “Dame Hannah, I don’t think you’ve met Lyra, Lord Asriel’s niece” the Master said.

Marisa watched as Lyra was introduced to the other females, then he turned to herself, “Mrs Coulter, this is our Lyra. Lyra come and say hello to Mrs Coulter” he said, Marisa smiled sweetly and held out her hand to the girl, “Hello, Lyra” she said kindly, she felt the girls soft hand slid into her own and she held it for a moment, “I do so hope you’ll sit next to at dinner. I’m not used to the grandeur of the Masters lodging, you will have to tell me which knife and fork to use” she said to the girl, as she moved up the sofa to allow Lyra to sit, which she did so, noticing the entranced gaze in the girls eyes, “Are you a female scholar?” She asked

Marisa smiled softly, “You seem surprised” she said, “Well…female scholars don’t…dress like you…” Lyra said uncertainly, Marisa laughed softly, “I’ll take that as a compliment” she said, Marisa study Lyra for a moment, taking in her features; there was so much of Asriel in the girl, “No, I’m not really a scholar, I’m a member of St Sophias College, but most of my work takes place outside Oxford” she explained to the girl, “Tell me about yourself Lyra, I’m sure your much more interesting than I am” Marisa then listened as Lyra began to tell her about her life at Jordan College and the women’s first thought had been right, the child was aloud to run riot through the place, well she would soon refine the girl.

Marisa and Lyra were sat next to each other at dinner and they talked throughout the whole meal, Marisa noted how entranced they girl was of her, which pleased Marisa deeply. Once dinner was over and Lyra was about to leave, Marisa took hold of the girls arm gently, “Lyra dear, I wonder if you would accompany me back to my quarters?” She asked sweetly, Lyra smiled back and nodded.

They made their way out of the dining hall and into the corridor, “You are quite something, I’m surprised Asriel doesn’t talk about you more” Marisa said, “You know my uncle?” Lyra asked, sounding bewildered, Marisa smiled, knowing she would have to be careful with what she told Lyra, “We occasionally bump into each other at the Royal Arctic Institute” Marisa explained, “You’re an explorer too?” Lyra asked, and Marisa saw the look of excitement in the girls eyes, Marisa gave a small laugh and as if by some instinct, she found herself place her hand on the girls hair and run her hand through it, “Such a grand word, but yes I suppose I am” Marisa said, she brought her hand away from the girl, she had surprised herself for a moment, unsure of what had come over her. Marisa then began walking on, Lyra followed excitedly, “Have you ever seen an Armoured bear or Tartars?” The girl asked, Marisa smiled, “Well, I have negotiated with bears, much more tiresome than it sounds, and I have fought Tartars, which can actually be quite fun” Marisa began to explain, she was surprised that the girl was to intrigued by all this, “Are you really interested in this? I am capable of being quite boring” Marisa asked her, facing the girl, who shook her head frantically, “When the North is concerned, you can never bore me” Lyra insisted, Marisa smirked slightly, as she took Lyra’s arm and led her towards the door to her quarters, “Well, my favourite moment is early morning. When the sky is high and the land seems endless. All that is in front of you is fresh, unbroken snow. You feel utterly alone, and you feel utterly, magnificent” Marisa felt herself go into a trance like state, forgetting herself for a moment, it wasn’t until she hard Lyra say, “I want to feel like that…” she came back to her senses and smiled at the girl, she raised her hand and placed it on side of the girls face and rubbed her thumb on her cheek, “Take a seat, Lyra” she said softly and the girl went on over to a sofa and sat down, facing Marisa.

Marisa hesitated for a moment, this was it. It was now. She was finally going to have her daughter all to herself. She was silent for a moment and then she began to speak, “Lyra, do you know why I’m here?” She asked, the girl shook her head, saying nothing, “The Master has asked me to find a place for you, and naturally I wanted to meet you first” Marisa began to explain, choosing her words carefully, “And now that I’ve met you, I like you and I want to offer you a position, as my assistant”

Marisa saw a huge smile spread across the girls face, which delighted her heart to see, “You’ll have to learn fast and I won’t take any slacking” Marisa told her and Lyra agreed silently, “But I think with your enthusiasm and my know how, we can make quite the team” the more she spoke and the more excited Lyra became Marisa relaxed into the explanation, “We’d go to the north?” Lyra asked her, Marisa walked over and took a seat on the sofa, facing Lyra, “Well, we’d go to London first” she explained, skipping out the part where she had no intentions of taking the child to the north, “And you’d have to be prepared to leave, tomorrow. I have an airship booked for the both of us” Marisa explained.

Marisa then watched as the girl looked down, thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again, “My friend Roger, can he come too” Lyra asked eagerly, Marisa furrowed her eyebrows slightly, “Who’s Roger?” She asked, “He works in the kitchens here. He’s not much of an explorer, but he can cook and clean” Lyra explained, “I have all the household staff that I need Lyra” Marisa said, “He won’t let you down. I need him…he’s my best friend…my only friend. Please, he’s an orphan like me and leaving Jordan College would be the most exciting thing for us” Lyra said.

Marisa felt a pang in her heart when Lyra mentioned about her being an orphan. If only the girl knew, but that conversation was not for now. This was not the way she had hoped the situation would go, and she had no intention of taking this boy when she left with Lyra, but she knew how to manipulate people and was sure if she promised to take this Roger, Lyra would come with her gladly, Marisa gave a small smile, “Fine, he can come” she said finally.

Suddenly Lyra launched herself forwards and Marisa, taken aback by it gasped as the girl flung her arms around her neck. On instinct Marisa brought her arms up and held them around Lyra’s middle. She was tense for a moment, completely baffled by this sudden action, not used to this kind of affection. Then she felt a warm, soft feeling inside her, which she could not explain. It was a feeling she had never felt before and it was curious to her. She began to wonder it this was what motherhood felt like. She relaxed slightly into the hug and smiled softly, her eyes glancing at the child in her arms. Her child.

After a moment she shook off this feeling. She couldn’t let herself fall so easily, this was to be a professional relationship between herself and the girl, nothing more. She disentangled herself from Lyra and stood up, “Right, you best run along. We will be leaving on the airship at eight o’clock, so you’d best run along to bed” Marisa told the girl, who stood up, still grinning from ear to ear, but made no fuss about leaving, she bid Marisa goodbye, before hurrying out of the room with her dæmon flying behind her, bird formed.

Marisa smiled as she watched the girl leave, then went over and closed the bedroom door. She stood for a moment, her palms pressed against the wood of the door, thinking to herself. It had worked, her plan to get Lyra into her care was accomplished, she would finally have her daughter and nothing could stand in her way. All that was left was to deal with this boy, Roger, but Marisa knew how to handle that. Things were finally going her way and she couldn’t be more happy about it all.


End file.
